Ambiguities in North American debates were the result of an unresolved conflict between two logically and theologically contradictory discourses, both claiming to be about “religion.” One is of a ...
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Ambiguities in North American debates were the result of an unresolved conflict between two logically and theologically contradictory discourses, both claiming to be about “religion.” One is of a profane, fallen world of native “Indian” paganism judged against the canons of Christian Truth; and the other the Enlightenment discourse on a Constitutionally defined secular state which is neutral to “religions” but which guarantees freedom of worship as a private right. This same ambiguity can also be found in the preaching of European and American missionaries who oscillate between a vision of the non‐European world as profane in the sense of being Fallen, and a vision of the non‐European world as lacking scientific secular rationality. Underlying this ambiguity lies a more consistent discursive substratum of rhetoric on civility and barbarity. Modern Euro‐American discourses wobble between these two different paradigms, at one moment representing the civility of encompassing Christian Truth which offers salvation from the profanities of pagan darkness, but at another moment offering scientific rationality and liberal capitalism as secular economic salvation from evolutionary backwardness.Less

Postscript on Civility and Barbarity in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Timothy Fitzgerald

Published in print: 2008-01-01

Ambiguities in North American debates were the result of an unresolved conflict between two logically and theologically contradictory discourses, both claiming to be about “religion.” One is of a profane, fallen world of native “Indian” paganism judged against the canons of Christian Truth; and the other the Enlightenment discourse on a Constitutionally defined secular state which is neutral to “religions” but which guarantees freedom of worship as a private right. This same ambiguity can also be found in the preaching of European and American missionaries who oscillate between a vision of the non‐European world as profane in the sense of being Fallen, and a vision of the non‐European world as lacking scientific secular rationality. Underlying this ambiguity lies a more consistent discursive substratum of rhetoric on civility and barbarity. Modern Euro‐American discourses wobble between these two different paradigms, at one moment representing the civility of encompassing Christian Truth which offers salvation from the profanities of pagan darkness, but at another moment offering scientific rationality and liberal capitalism as secular economic salvation from evolutionary backwardness.

This chapter discusses the controversy generated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's decision to extend reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in higher education. It looks ...
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This chapter discusses the controversy generated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's decision to extend reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in higher education. It looks at two issues that have dominated Indian policy debates with regards to reservations for OBCs. The first issue is about whether caste is an indicator of disadvantage, while the second issue pertains to the conception of backwardness. The chapter shows that many issues still remain unresolved, such as the position of the more affluent segments and the position of minorities.Less

The Die is Cast(e): The Debate on Backward Caste/Class Quotas, 1990 and 20061

ZOYA HASAN

Published in print: 2010-04-15

This chapter discusses the controversy generated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's decision to extend reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in higher education. It looks at two issues that have dominated Indian policy debates with regards to reservations for OBCs. The first issue is about whether caste is an indicator of disadvantage, while the second issue pertains to the conception of backwardness. The chapter shows that many issues still remain unresolved, such as the position of the more affluent segments and the position of minorities.

Economics and Finance, South and East Asia, Development, Growth, and Environmental

This chapter discusses the problem of economic and social backwardness in Uttar Pradesh and its causal antecedents. Among these are the disastrous functioning of public services in rural areas, the ...
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This chapter discusses the problem of economic and social backwardness in Uttar Pradesh and its causal antecedents. Among these are the disastrous functioning of public services in rural areas, the persistence of widespread illiteracy, and the suppression of women's agency in society. This chapter also talks about the social and political circumstances underlying these diverse failures.Less

Uttar Pradesh: The Burden of Inertia *

Jean
Drèze
Haris
Gazdar

Published in print: 1997-07-10

This chapter discusses the problem of economic and social backwardness in Uttar Pradesh and its causal antecedents. Among these are the disastrous functioning of public services in rural areas, the persistence of widespread illiteracy, and the suppression of women's agency in society. This chapter also talks about the social and political circumstances underlying these diverse failures.

The introductory chapter defines the book's major aim, which lies in investigating the life‐work of five historians in comparative and transnational perspective and ascertaining their place in the ...
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The introductory chapter defines the book's major aim, which lies in investigating the life‐work of five historians in comparative and transnational perspective and ascertaining their place in the intellectual landscape of nineteenth‐century historiography. They are: Joachim Lelewel (Polish, 1786–1861), Simonas Daukantas (Lithuanian, 1793–1864), František Palacký (Czech, 1798–1876), Mihály Horváth (Hungarian, 1804–78), Mihail Kogălniceanu (Romanian, 1818–91). The chapter surveys existing literature and identifies a gap in historiographical literature that exists between large‐scale general accounts and individual case studies and defines the book's scope between these two categories. It takes issue with the widely held view that smaller and marginal historical traditions were necessarily ‘backward’ and thus incapable of producing worthwhile contributions. It also challenges other established perceptions regarding the differences between nationalism in Western and Eastern Europe, especially with the view that intense political engagement was a trait peculiar to historians of Eastern Europe. It then goes on to address the methodological difficulties inherent in transnational comparison and, finally, introduces the major themes of the book.Less

Introduction

Monika Baár

Published in print: 2010-02-04

The introductory chapter defines the book's major aim, which lies in investigating the life‐work of five historians in comparative and transnational perspective and ascertaining their place in the intellectual landscape of nineteenth‐century historiography. They are: Joachim Lelewel (Polish, 1786–1861), Simonas Daukantas (Lithuanian, 1793–1864), František Palacký (Czech, 1798–1876), Mihály Horváth (Hungarian, 1804–78), Mihail Kogălniceanu (Romanian, 1818–91). The chapter surveys existing literature and identifies a gap in historiographical literature that exists between large‐scale general accounts and individual case studies and defines the book's scope between these two categories. It takes issue with the widely held view that smaller and marginal historical traditions were necessarily ‘backward’ and thus incapable of producing worthwhile contributions. It also challenges other established perceptions regarding the differences between nationalism in Western and Eastern Europe, especially with the view that intense political engagement was a trait peculiar to historians of Eastern Europe. It then goes on to address the methodological difficulties inherent in transnational comparison and, finally, introduces the major themes of the book.

The conventional belief that China has a strong anti-urban tradition is only partially true. By the early 20th century, it became clear that the city, and ‘modern’ city in particular, had replaced ...
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The conventional belief that China has a strong anti-urban tradition is only partially true. By the early 20th century, it became clear that the city, and ‘modern’ city in particular, had replaced the countryside as a source of pride among both urban and rural dwellers. The socio-cultural gulf between the city and the country irreversibly widened, a trend that continues to take its toll on rural China and many of its related socio-cultural values.Less

City versus Countryside: The Growth of an Urban Identity and its Meanings in Canton

Virgil K.Y. Ho

Published in print: 2005-12-22

The conventional belief that China has a strong anti-urban tradition is only partially true. By the early 20th century, it became clear that the city, and ‘modern’ city in particular, had replaced the countryside as a source of pride among both urban and rural dwellers. The socio-cultural gulf between the city and the country irreversibly widened, a trend that continues to take its toll on rural China and many of its related socio-cultural values.

The term ‘Real Socialism’ is used here as a value‐free designation of the area in the past (or at present as in China) under communist rule. The chapter shows the fallacy of one of the fundamental ...
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The term ‘Real Socialism’ is used here as a value‐free designation of the area in the past (or at present as in China) under communist rule. The chapter shows the fallacy of one of the fundamental tenets of Marxist model of a socialist/communist economy as a product of the historical regularity of development. Contrary to this assumption ‘real socialism’ has not come about as an heir to developed capitalism, or even as substitute for missed industrial revolution. In practice, the likelihood of installing the system of ‘real socialism’ went in parallel to the higher degree of backwardness.Less

The Historical Regularity in Reverse

Włodzimierz BrusKazimierz Laski

Published in print: 1991-04-11

The term ‘Real Socialism’ is used here as a value‐free designation of the area in the past (or at present as in China) under communist rule. The chapter shows the fallacy of one of the fundamental tenets of Marxist model of a socialist/communist economy as a product of the historical regularity of development. Contrary to this assumption ‘real socialism’ has not come about as an heir to developed capitalism, or even as substitute for missed industrial revolution. In practice, the likelihood of installing the system of ‘real socialism’ went in parallel to the higher degree of backwardness.

This chapter examines the process of the formation of Disraeli's initial understandings of the East and the Eastern Question. The social and political context within which the young Disraeli grew up ...
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This chapter examines the process of the formation of Disraeli's initial understandings of the East and the Eastern Question. The social and political context within which the young Disraeli grew up is scrutinized, as well as the influence of his Jewish origins and the personality of his father, Isaac D'Israeli. The influence of the liberal Toryism of Canning and the romanticism of Lord Byron on the shaping of Disraeli's understanding of the Eastern Question are equally stressed. Finally, the influence of Gibbon's pessimistic view of the 'slavic races' of Eastern Europe as examples of ‘barbarism’ and ‘backwardness’ is also highlighted.Less

Origins

Miloš Ković

Published in print: 2010-11-04

This chapter examines the process of the formation of Disraeli's initial understandings of the East and the Eastern Question. The social and political context within which the young Disraeli grew up is scrutinized, as well as the influence of his Jewish origins and the personality of his father, Isaac D'Israeli. The influence of the liberal Toryism of Canning and the romanticism of Lord Byron on the shaping of Disraeli's understanding of the Eastern Question are equally stressed. Finally, the influence of Gibbon's pessimistic view of the 'slavic races' of Eastern Europe as examples of ‘barbarism’ and ‘backwardness’ is also highlighted.

The final chapter considers whether deliberative contractualism is capable of satisfying the explanatory adequacy criterion. Whereas the strategy in Chapter 6 was positive and direct, here the ...
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The final chapter considers whether deliberative contractualism is capable of satisfying the explanatory adequacy criterion. Whereas the strategy in Chapter 6 was positive and direct, here the strategy is negative and indirect. It argues that we have good reason to believe that deliberative contractualism is explanatorily adequate because we lack good reason to believe that it is explanatorily inadequate in any of the ways that it would have to satisfy the moral accuracy criterion and yet still fail to ultimately ground morality. As argued in Chapter 1, there are five relevant kinds of explanatory inadequacy: explanatory backwardness; explanatory supersession; explanatory epiphenomenality; explanatory circularity; and explanatory non-fundamentality. The chapter considers each of these in turn and argues that the best arguments for thinking that deliberative contractualism exemplifies them fail.Less

Grounding morality

Nicholas Southwood

Published in print: 2010-10-07

The final chapter considers whether deliberative contractualism is capable of satisfying the explanatory adequacy criterion. Whereas the strategy in Chapter 6 was positive and direct, here the strategy is negative and indirect. It argues that we have good reason to believe that deliberative contractualism is explanatorily adequate because we lack good reason to believe that it is explanatorily inadequate in any of the ways that it would have to satisfy the moral accuracy criterion and yet still fail to ultimately ground morality. As argued in Chapter 1, there are five relevant kinds of explanatory inadequacy: explanatory backwardness; explanatory supersession; explanatory epiphenomenality; explanatory circularity; and explanatory non-fundamentality. The chapter considers each of these in turn and argues that the best arguments for thinking that deliberative contractualism exemplifies them fail.

Even though India has made remarkable progress during past six decades in widening the literacy base and expanding educational opportunities, the Indian education system has been marked by glaring ...
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Even though India has made remarkable progress during past six decades in widening the literacy base and expanding educational opportunities, the Indian education system has been marked by glaring disparities along various axes of social and regional stratification. Religion is one of the most pervasive axes of educational disparity in India. At the same time, it remains one of the least explored dimensions of educational disparity. The complexities underlying the relative educational backwardness of certain religious communities, especially the Muslims, remain under-explored. The discussion in this chapter analyses the issues underlying these research deficits and exposes the problems of the existing body of research.Less

Introduction

Mohd. Sanjeer Alam

Published in print: 2012-01-26

Even though India has made remarkable progress during past six decades in widening the literacy base and expanding educational opportunities, the Indian education system has been marked by glaring disparities along various axes of social and regional stratification. Religion is one of the most pervasive axes of educational disparity in India. At the same time, it remains one of the least explored dimensions of educational disparity. The complexities underlying the relative educational backwardness of certain religious communities, especially the Muslims, remain under-explored. The discussion in this chapter analyses the issues underlying these research deficits and exposes the problems of the existing body of research.

This chapter brings to the fore the socio-political processes that have shaped educational development among the Muslims in both colonial and post-colonial times. It is argued in this chapter that ...
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This chapter brings to the fore the socio-political processes that have shaped educational development among the Muslims in both colonial and post-colonial times. It is argued in this chapter that while socio-political processes exerted an overbearing influence on educational development among Muslims during the colonial period, participation of Muslims in the colonial education system was, however, deeply spatially entrenched. Even as the Muslim community as a whole appeared to lag behind other communities, its educational status in many situations was much better than other communities. A similar kind of spatiality in educational development among Muslims is also seen in the present context. It thus suggests that relative educational backwardness of the Muslim community has to be understood in terms of spatially embedded historical trajectories that have shaped educational development in India.Less

Religion and Educational Inequity : Past and Present

Mohd. Sanjeer Alam

Published in print: 2012-01-26

This chapter brings to the fore the socio-political processes that have shaped educational development among the Muslims in both colonial and post-colonial times. It is argued in this chapter that while socio-political processes exerted an overbearing influence on educational development among Muslims during the colonial period, participation of Muslims in the colonial education system was, however, deeply spatially entrenched. Even as the Muslim community as a whole appeared to lag behind other communities, its educational status in many situations was much better than other communities. A similar kind of spatiality in educational development among Muslims is also seen in the present context. It thus suggests that relative educational backwardness of the Muslim community has to be understood in terms of spatially embedded historical trajectories that have shaped educational development in India.